It has become common for police to use tasers today in their line of duty, and when they work properly they can take down a suspect within only a few seconds; most of the time without killing them.
The LAPD is said to have pioneered the use of these tools, and been known to heavily test and embrace the weapons over the years, using them for roughly four decades already. However, it's alleged that several years ago the LAPD discovered that their department's tasers were increasingly ineffective. They weren't getting the job done of subduing the suspects that officers encountered in the field.
It's alleged that the decline in effectiveness of some tasers had correlated with a new trend toward buying a newer taser model, X26P, which was believed to be less powerful than earlier versions. After that model was released in 2013, several years later an LAPD report suggested that the tasers were only proving effective in roughly 53 percent of cases where they were being used, in 2015. It's alleged that the LAPD has failed to investigate why they aren't getting better results from the tools they are using, and that they continued to aggressively purchase the new model despite the findings that it might be likely less effective.
It isn't only LAPD that had difficulty with the tasers either, as it's alleged that officers from other departments have also noticed the failure of the tasers as well.
If LAPD officials are aware of the incredible failure rate of the tools that they are using then they should make the necessary changes to use something that does work and can be relied upon, don't waste that money on something that will not produce results.
When a taser doesns't work properly that increases the chances that community members will lose their lives when conflicts cannot be deescalated through other means. It also places the officers in danger because they aren't equipped with tools that are going to work for them. The issue of the faulty tasers should have been addressed years ago when it had allegedly come to the attention of LAPD officials.
Pics:
Pic1 A Latham via A Daily Star
